Intelligent data plane acceleration by offloading to distributed smart network interfaces

Abstract

A system for processing data, comprising a compute node having a first processor that is configured to receive a digital data message containing a request for computing services and to allocate processing resources on a private network as a function of the request. A smart network interface controller (NIC) management system operating on a second processor and configured to cause the second processor to select a smart NIC associated with the private network to allocate the smart NIC to the computing services. The smart NIC includes a processor that is configured to interface with a public network and to send and receive data over the public network associated with the computing services.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for processing data, comprising:
 a compute node having a first processor that is configured to interact with a cloud computing environment; 
 the cloud computing environment configured to receive a digital data message containing a request for computing services from the compute node and to allocate processing resources of the cloud computing environment as a function of the request; 
 a smart network interface controller (NIC) management system operating on a second processor and configured to cause the second processor to select a remote smart NIC that is separate from the smart NIC management system and associated with a network and to allocate the remote smart NIC to the computing services; and 
 the remote smart NIC includes a processor that is configured to interface with the network and to send and receive data over the network associated with the computing services. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the computing services comprises a container having a network address and the remote smart NIC is selected from a plurality of smart NICs and sends and receives data over the network as a function of the network address. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the cloud computing environment configured to receive a second digital data message containing a second request for computing services and to allocate processing resources on the network as a function of the second request for computing services; and 
 the smart NIC management system configured to cause the second processor to select a second smart NIC associated with the network that is remote from the smart NIC and that is also remote from the smart NIC management system to allocate to the second request for computing services. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3  wherein the second smart NIC includes a processor that is configured to interface with the network and to send and receive data over the network associated with the second request for computing services. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein the smart NIC management system is configured to monitor the remote smart NIC to determine whether a failure has occurred. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  wherein the smart NIC management system is configured to monitor the remote smart NIC to determine whether a failure has occurred and to re-allocate the computing services to a different smart NIC that is remote from the remote smart NIC where a failure has occurred and that is remote from the smart NIC management system. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  wherein the smart NIC management system is configured to monitor the remote smart NIC to determine whether a failure has occurred and to re-allocate the computing services to a first different smart NIC and to re-allocate other computing services that were handled by the remote smart NIC to a second different smart NIC. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1  wherein the smart NIC management system is configured to monitor the computing services and to de-allocate the remote smart NIC when the computing services have terminated. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1  further comprising the compute node configured to receive a second digital data message containing a second request for computing services and to allocate processing resources on the network as a function of the second request for computing services. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9  further comprising the smart NIC management system configured to cause the second processor to instantiate a second smart NIC associated with the network to allocate to the second request for computing services. 
     
     
       11. A method for processing data, comprising:
 configuring a cloud computing environment to receive a digital data message containing a request for computing services from a compute node having a first processor and to allocate processing resources on a network as a function of the request; 
 configuring a smart network interface controller (NIC) management system operating on a second processor to cause the second processor to select a remote smart NIC associated with the network and to allocate the remote smart NIC to the computing services; and 
 configuring a third processor of the remote smart NIC to interface with the network and to send and receive data over the network associated with the computing services, wherein the remote smart NIC management system is separate from the remote smart NIC. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein the computing services comprises a container having a network address and further comprising configuring the remote smart NIC that is separate from the smart NIC management system to send and receive data over the network as a function of the network address. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 configuring the cloud computing environment to receive a second digital data message containing a second request for computing services and to allocate processing resources on the network as a function of the second request for computing services; and 
 configuring the smart NIC management system to cause the second processor to select a second smart NIC associated with the network to allocate to the second request for computing services. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  further comprising configuring a processor of the second smart NIC to interface with the network and to send and receive data over the network associated with the second request for computing services. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11  further comprising configuring the smart NIC management system to monitor the remote smart NIC to determine whether a failure has occurred. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11  further comprising configuring the smart NIC management system to monitor the remote smart NIC to determine whether a failure has occurred and to re-allocate the computing services to a different smart NIC. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11  further comprising configuring the smart NIC management system to monitor the remote smart NIC to determine whether a failure has occurred and to re-allocate the computing services to a first different smart NIC and to reallocate other computing services that were handled by the remote smart NIC to a second different smart NIC. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11  further comprising configuring the smart NIC management system to monitor the computing services and to de-allocate the remote smart NIC when the computing services have terminated. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 11  further comprising configuring the compute node to receive a second digital data message containing a second request for computing services and to allocate processing resources on the network as a function of the second request for computing services. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  further comprising configuring the smart NIC management system to cause the second processor to instantiate a second smart NIC associated with the network to allocate to the second request for computing services.